Wishes for Oklahoma City's food scene in 2013

We've got 363 days to make something happen in 2013, and here's a list of things I'm hoping to see or will do my best to make happen in the Oklahoma City area's culinary landscape.

Joseph Royer has elevated his Saturn Grill concept with full service and added entrees and appetizers to the menu. Oklahoman Archives photo Jaconna Aguirre - The Oklahoman

The evolution of Saturn Grill: Chef/owner Joseph Royer might well be the city's most talented chef. Royer used his newest Saturn Grill location in MidTown to begin to nudge the wildly successful concept upward by bolstering the menu with small plates and entrees and adding table service, and a full-service bar. The atmosphere in the new place also fully realizes Royer's artistic spirit with its converging lines and neo-Jetsons flourishes. Servers use iPads to manage orders and complete credit card transactions. Royer intends this to be the new standard for Saturn Grill, which has long been a benchmark for local fast-casual dining. If it improves, competition will have to answer, which is a win for diners. By elevating the goals of Saturn Grill, Royer gives himself ample room to flex his culinary muscles — another win for diners.

Barbecue: I got late word over the weekend that Coach's will close its downtown location, selling back its interest to the RedHawks. That means the place I was most wont to get barbecue is no more. Pitmaster Russ “The Smokin' Okie” Garrett says his barbecue will be available at the Zoo Amphitheatre, where he'll manage concessions for Enduring Brands. We've got some good longtime barbecue brands like Van's Pig Stand and Leo's. Iron Starr Urban BBQ does some terrific stuff, but none of these are currently creating the kind of stir that inspires zealotry. I would love to see people lined up for Oklahoma barbecue so good they're willing to chance waiting an hour only to be told the smoker is empty.

Liquor laws: I hoped for a common-sense approach to updating our liquor laws, but that didn't happen. In fact, we got the polar opposite. I'll say this again: We need a law that protects our best local liquor stores by allowing them refrigeration and license to sell mixers, foods and logical accoutrements like corkscrews, bottle openers and cocktail shakers. The law also needs to allow the sale of wine in grocery stores and eliminate the need for low-point beer. Let's hold our elected official accountable this year.

Wanted: A good Cuban restaurant in Oklahoma City. I am routinely asked where to find good Cuban food in Oklahoma City, and the answer is always the same: in a time machine. The last good Cuban cafe I recall was located in a little house on N Western Avenue, just north of NW 23 Street in the early 1990s. Surely we've got some Cubans in town looking for a way to share their knowledge of pit-roasted pork, fried plantains, pork sandwiches, black beans and saffron-scented rice.